Estelle Woolley

Rose Tea
Teacup, saucer, and thorns on stand

Recently exhibited at Remember Nature, Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces: Chester, this precariously balanced sculpture explores the playful tension created by juxtaposing a comforting object with something sharp and unsettling. The result is a piece that feels almost tactile. Its fragility and discomfort are felt just by looking.

I’ve always adored gathering thorns from hedgerows, and this was one of the first works I created with them back in 2013. Other early experiments included placing thorns around bicycle wheels in cement.

Placed on a thin metal stand in a very unstable manner, the work creates a further sense of delicacy and tension.

Photo by Peter Davies